TÜRKIYE’S ERDOGAN RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won re-election in a tense run-off after none could secure more than 50% of votes required for an outright victory in the first round on May 14 when Erdogan took 49.52% of the vote, while Kilicdaroglu received 44.88%.In the run-off on May 28, Erdogan received 52.87% of votes, beating his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who won 47.13%.The victory would mean that Erdogan, 69, will extend his 20-year rule for another five years, and will also see him take Türkiye past the centenary of the republic’s foundation in October.While the incumbent went into the run-off with a strong momentum and an edge over of his rival, his chances were bolstered by the endorsement of nationalist Sinan Ogan who came in third in the presidential race.The AK Party and its allies secured 323 seats in the 600-strong parliament in simultaneous elections held on May 14.
KOSOVO PREZ SUPPORTS POLICE ACTION IN ZVECAN
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on May 26 said that police action was legitimate after tensions mounted in northern municipalities as local Serbs in Zvecan clashed with police outside the administration building. “The actions of the Kosovo Police against the illegal structures of (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic’s criminal gangs are legitimate, in execution of their constitutional duties and in defence of all citizens, regardless,” Osmani said on social media. The move came after the local Serbs, who had gathered in front of the municipal building to block the newly-elected ethnic Albanian mayor from entering his office, clashed with the police. Police in riot gear were deployed around the premises, along with the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo and NATO Kosovo Forces personnel.
OMAN MEDIATES PRISONER SWAP BETWEEN IRAN, BELGIUM
An Iranian-Belgian prisoner swap agreement had been reached under the auspices of the Sultanate of Oman, the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on May 26. “In line with the directives of His Majesty, Sultan Hait bin Tarik, to fulfil the requests of the sides of the Iranian and Belgian compliance to assist in resolving the issue of detained citizens in both countries, the Omani efforts have resulted in an agreement between the two for a mutual exchange deal,” the Omani Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The individuals who were released have been transported from Tehran and Brussels to Muscat today, Friday, 26 May, 2023, in preparation for their return to their respective countries,” the Ministry added.
TÜRKIYE LAUNCHES SYRIA HOUSING PROJECT
Türkiye has launched the construction of a mega-scale housing project to resettle Syrian refugees in northern Syria. The project includes nearly a quarter of a million housing units on the outskirts of the town of Ghandura in the Jarablus region on the border with Türkiye. “Syrian refugees living in Turkey will settle in homes … within the framework of voluntary return that preserves their dignity,” Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu said on May 24 as he laid the foundation stone for the project, adding that “240,000 homes will be built in the area.” He said he hoped the project would be complete within three years. Türkiye controls a wide border strip in northern Syria, which includes a number of major cities. Its forces are deployed at several observation points in the governorates of Aleppo and Idlib.
ETUC TO BOYCOTT PRODUCTS MADE IN ISRAEL SETTLEMENTS
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), which represents over 45 million European workers and their trade unions, on May 26 decided to boycott products made in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. The organisation also stressed the importance of regulatory measures to prevent EU legal entities from importing or exporting products manufactured in illegal Israeli settlements in accordance with EU treaties and international law. The decision came during the confederation’s 15th Congress, being held in the German capital Berlin on May 26. Addressing the conference, the Secretary-General of the Palestine Trade Union Federation, Shaher Saad, welcomed the attendees and drew attention to the plight of the Palestinians as he noted the death toll so far this year, which has already reached 172 Palestinians.
TÜRKIYE SEES SIGNS OF OIL, NATURAL GAS IN EASTERN BLACK SEA
Türkiye is seeing indications of oil and natural gas reserves in the eastern Black Sea, the Energy Minister said on May 23. Ramped-up hydrocarbon explorations in the Black Sea have been reportedly part of Türkiye’s proactive approach to fully assess the region’s potential to secure domestic resources to curb its major dependence on external resources. “We have $500 billion worth of gas. There was abnormal pricing and that is why this figure was estimated at $1 trillion last year,” Donmez told an interview with the private broadcaster, CNN Turk. Türkiye, this April, started pumping natural gas into the national grid from a vast reserve in the Black Sea, discovered gradually since August 2020. The reserve is estimated to hold over 710 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas, which is promising to curb the country’s dependence and cut consumer energy prices.
TARIQ RAMADAN CLEARED IN SWISS RAPE TRIAL
Renowned Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan has been cleared of rape and sexual coercion charges after a Swiss court found no evidence against the former Oxford University professor. The academic was also awarded about 151,000 Swiss francs ($167,000) in damages from the Swiss canton of Geneva. After the verdict was read in the court, the 60-year-old Swiss preacher smiled and was hugged by one of his daughters. The case was the first time he had been tried for rape, although he risks facing a trial in France on charges of sexual assault. Ramadan, a prominent figure in European Islam, rejected the charges, insisting he was the victim of a “trap”. The Swiss-born scholar was arrested in 2018, months after he was charged of sexual assault in the wake of the #MeToo movement. He was granted bail in those cases after nearly 10 months in French detention. His lawyers also accused Brigitte and the women who have brought charges against him in France of forging links to bring down the Islamic scholar, citing “Ramadanphobia”.
FAMILIES OF TUNISIA’S JAILED LEADERS FILE CASE AT AFRICAN COURT
Families of imprisoned opposition members in Tunisia filed a case at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Tanzania, calling for their immediate release. According to Yusra Ghannouchi, the daughter of Rached Ghannouchi who was the leader of Tunisia’s main opposition party, Ennahda, and was arrested last month on the orders of a Tunisian investigative judge, the case was filed by families hoping to seek freedom for their imprisoned relatives. Earlier this month Rached was sentenced to one year in prison for incitement. “We are here to seek justice for our parents and all those struggling to restore democracy in Tunisia,” Yusra said in a statement on May 24. “We hope the African court will make it clear that Kais Saied’s systematic trampling of the rights and freedoms of Tunisians cannot continue with impunity.”